Kitsune
by LynnieTheTurtle
Summary: Rangiku wasn't the only girl Gin saved. He found her dying of starvation and took her in. But now, years later, mysterious events are unfolding. What is her secret? GinxOC
1. Prologue

**So this was something that I've been thinking about and have gotten around to writing. Sorry if Gin and Rangiku are OOC. And another note is that I didn't want to screw up Gin's accent so I wrote it in like the rest of the characters. Please review and tell me what you think.**

She stared up at the autumn sky and watched as pale blue shifted to orangey-reds. She felt the sharp rocks dig into her back but gave them no mind. They wouldn't irk her for much longer. She was dying.

The wind picked up and carried a few strands of her raven hair into the air as she shivered from the sudden change in temperature. Not much longer, she thought to herself, I can barely feel my fingers now, not much longer. She waited for the last of her life to drain away from her malnourished corpse. I'm glad I came here to die; I did always like this place. There's nothing I can do.

A shadow fell on her sunburned face and she slowly let her eyes drift upward to the thin, wiry body of a boy her age. A wide grin loomed over her deathbed. The wind blew purplish-silver hair in his skeletal face. She looked curiously at the shriveled orange fruit, she guessed, in the hand extending towards her.

"Eat it, you look starved." The boy replied to her confused look.

She tried to grab the fruit, renewed hope gleaming in her eyes. She couldn't lift a finger.

"Gin! Where are you?"

"Right here Ran-chan!" The silver haired boy yelled back.

Gin looked down at the starved girl on the ground. She was as good as dead but when he offered her the dried persimmon her eyes sparkled in the light of the setting sun. She couldn't move she, and he suspected that she couldn't talk either. But her stormy grey eyes were filled with hope and thankfulness that was all the answer he needed.

Rangiku ran up carrying a large jug of water and another bag of dried persimmons, the only reason they had trekked to Inuzuri. "Gin, are you ready to…" She noticed the raven haired girl and Gin supporting her frail body upright.

"Ran-chan, give her some water." Rangiku obliged, if Gin cared about this girl, she'd do anything in her power to help her.

"Drink slower or you'll get sick." Rangiku murmured with a maternal tone. Gin gave the persimmon to Rangiku and she fed the poor girl.

"Are you feeling better?" Rangiku inquired softly. The girl silently nodded.

"We should bring her with us," Gin said, "No one will take her in with that reiatsu." Rangiku nodded enthusiastically and Gin returned his gaze to the girl again. "So how do you feel about coming with us?" He asked. She slowly nodded her head and gave bright smile.

"So how about giving us your name?"

The girl scrunched her eyebrows with a frown and shrugged her shoulders.

"So you don't know your name?" Gin guessed.

She shook her head.

"Want Ran-chan and me to think of one for ya?"

She nodded her head again.

"Oh! I know! How about Karasu! Her hair is such a pretty shade of black!"

"No. We should call her Akiko."

"Because we found her in autumn? I think we should think of a better re-"

"No because, of her eyes of course Ran-chan!"

"Hmm, they do sparkle…"

"So it's decided, from now on you're Akiko of Inuzuri"


	2. Let's go on a forest hunt!

**YAAAY! New chapter! I hope you like it and please review! Side Note: I hate devil children who think they can mess with my sister. They deserve everything they get.****

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She crossed herself as she put on her things  
She has promised once before not to live this way  
If she don't calm down she will burn herself out  
Like a forest fire, well doesn't that make you smile  
If you don't slow down, I swear that I'll come round

-Llyod Cole, Forest Fire

* * *

"Awwww Kiko-chan! I can't believe you're leaving me here by myself!" Matsumoto Rangiku yelled at the top of her lungs and waving her arms in the air. "Gin left the academy last year and now you're leaving me too!"

"Ran, There's no need to yell, it's not like you're never going to see me again." Inuzuri Akiko said in her soft, whisper of a voice.

"But Kiko-chan what if you forget about me too?" Rangiku said with a gloomy puppy dog face.

Gin, Rangiku, and Akiko had been living on the streets until four years ago when they had entered the Shinigami academy. Gin graduated in one year and had joined the Gotei Thirteen. Akiko and Rangiku hadn't seen him since he left; Akiko could see how Rangiku was afraid that she wouldn't come back.

Akiko was graduating the academy that year and would be joining the Gotei Thirteen as well, but while Gin had gone to the fifth division, Akiko would be a part of the second division as a member of the Omnitsukido.

Akiko tilted her head to the left and scrunched her eyebrows. "How could I forget you Ran? If it makes you feel better I promise to visit as much as I can," She ended with a half smile.

"Akiko," Rangiku said, putting her serious face on, "You better mean it. You will visit me on the first of every month until I graduate so I keep an eye on you."

"Why so serious Ran-chan? You know I always keep my word." Rangiku ignored her and talked over her

"And you _know_ how the second division keeps everything under wraps. We know Gin is safe because of the gossip going on about him." Gin had been hailed as a child genius and had even gained the third seat of the fifth division.

Akiko raised her eyebrow, prompting Rangiku to explain herself

"Have you ever heard anything about anyone from the second division?"

Akiko shook her head. The only person that she knew about was her new taicho, Shihoin Yoruichi.

"Then the only way I'll know you're alive and safe is if I see you with my own eyes."

"Very well Ran," Akiko replied with a sad half smile. "I'll be sure to visit," She said as if the whole arrangement were Rangiku's idea.

Rangiku's eyes lit up at that and she broke into a wide, toothy grin.

"Well now that all that serious stuff is done, I got you a present!"

"Ran you didn't have t-"

"Nonsense! Here, here open it!"

With a sigh, Akiko slowly opened the package that Rangiku had thrust into her hands. Lying inside the box was a pile of journals, all hard covered and in different shades of gray. Akiko's grin would have made Gin proud.

"See! I knew you'd like them! I always see you scribbling away in those and I saw you were near the end of your last one so…"

Akiko threw her arms around her best friend at all the new notebooks she had. Now she didn't have to stop and pick up the cheap ones she normally used.

"I love them Ran-chan!" Rangiku smiled at have been able to make her friend so happy, she hadn't seen her so emotional since Gin left.

"You should get going," Rangiku said to her closest friend, catching Akiko by surprise, "Didn't you have to report to your captain by three?"

"Right, I'll see you next week Ran." Akiko said as she started to shunpo to the second division.

* * *

Akiko stopped in front of the second division Taicho's and straitened out her new form fitted Onmitsukido uniform before knocking softly on the door.

"Enter" a feminine voice sounded.

Akiko stepped soundlessly into the office and had her attention captured by the dark skinned woman sitting behind the desk.

"Are you Inuzuri Akiko?" The purple haired woman asked.

"Hai, Taicho."

"Just call me Yoruichi, Kiko-chan. You seem to show some promise, especially in Hoho," the taicho said with a feline grin that made Akiko uncomfortable.

"And I take it you want to join both the Gotei Thirteen and Onmitsukido?"

"Hai, Yoruichi-sama."

"Have you achieved Shikai yet?"

"Hai, Yoruichi-sama"

"Really?" Yoruichi managed to sound astonished but didn't look surprised at all, "Well, I guess that I should check it out tomorrow" Akiko started to raise an eyebrow but stopped herself when she remembered that this was her superior she was talking to.

Yoruichi ignored the Akiko's face spasm. "I'm assigning you to the Executive Militia. You have the rest of the day off to settle in but you'll start training in the second division dojo tomorrow at dawn. Sato Aimi will escort you around the second division; I hope you two will get along. "

"Hai, Yoruichi-sama." Akiko said with a wry smile. She could get to like this woman.

"One more thing, take this and once you're all settled in open it."

She exited her Taicho's office and walked a ways before neatly dodging a near collision with a mousey brown haired girl. The skinny girl lost her balance and landed on her face in the place where Akiko had been standing moments before. The brunette quickly jumped back up and brushed herself off before turning to Akiko and apologizing profusely.

"I'm so, so, so sorry! I have to be the clumsiest second division member ever!"

"I doubt that," Akiko countered with a half smile, "You wouldn't be in the second division if you couldn't be silent."

"Ah! But yes you can. My brother thought that I'd be safest where he could keep an eye on me. I suspect he thinks I'd accidently kill myself if he wasn't there to save me!" the girl finished with a huff. Akiko stifled her laughter by biting the inside of her cheek.

"Sorry, but I have to show around a new recruit. Thank you for helping me out."

Akiko quickly grabbed the girl's arm and said, "Wait, are you Sato Aimi? I'm Inuzuri Akiko; I think I'm who you're looking for."

"Oh! Yup! So let's get going."

* * *

It was twilight by the time Aimi was done showing Akiko the second division grounds. In the whole afternoon they had spent together, Akiko and Aimi had become fast friends. Aimi's impulsive and loud personality made her a rare commodity in the silent second division, like a fire cracked set off in the dead of the night. Aimi like Akiko's cool calm and she thought Akiko wasn't like the other cold-blooded killers around the second division, she was kind and thoughtful. Once they made it around the second division and maybe half of Seireitei, Aimi retired and Akiko decided to look at the envelope her taicho gave her.

After making sure she was alone, Akiko opened the envelope and examined the contents. Her eyes slowly widened and her hands slowly curled into two tight fists, crumpling the slip of slip of paper she held and wrinkling the thick envelope in her other hand. After a frozen minute, she snapped out of her trance and raced along the roof tops, following the familiar Reiatsu until she had found her target. Using all the skills she had acquired over the years, she stalked her target until she knew he was alone.

He had chosen to go to a secluded grove where the moonlight illuminated each individual leaf, making them shimmer like tongues of flame. Making the forest look like it was on fire.

Her prey wandered deeper into the thick of the forest and Akiko assumed he was going to train with his zanpakuto. She watched as he stopped and drew his zanpakuto. Hours went by and her prey had worked up a good sweat and was showing signs of fatigue. He took a break and sat with his back pressed against a wide tree trunk. While he seemed to nap Akiko slunk down from her perch in an imposing pine, she blended with the shadows and slowly wrapped her fingers around the white hilt of her katana. In one quick motion she impaled her target through the throat. She watched as he bled to death and stared into his dark blue eyes.

Akiko slid her silvery blade back into its sheath. She returned to the second division and headed strait for the bath house. The second division was used to its various members returning covered with blood, it was just part of the job. Some of the bystanders who remembered her as the new recruit clapped her on the back; they recognized that she had made her first kill. She disrobed and slid into the hot water. She started to shiver violently despite the steamy temperature of the bath house.

Killing a comrade was so much different than killing a hollow. She remembered how his blue eyes had widened with surprise when she stabbed him, and how his silky blond hair had drifted in the currents of autumn breeze. He deserved to die and she would forget him, she would forget everything about him. She would get over it though, she told herself. He was a traitor and if she hadn't killed him he would hurt others, others like Rangiku or Aimi… or Gin. Akiko strengthened her resolve. She killed him to protect people she loved and cared for. And if she was given the chance, she would do it again.

That was what meant to be Onmitsukido.

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Review, Review, Review~


	3. Akiko has a Nel moment

**Sorry for not updating on time! I had finals last week and had to take care of class stuff this week... Well here you go! Please review! :)**

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Akiko slept for about an hour before she woke up again for training. She pulled on another black uniform and it clung to the curves of her body in an unintentionally flattering way. It didn't have the flashes of white like the uniforms the rest of the Gotei thirteen wore, it only had black. After dressing, she pulled her long black hair into a tight bun but a few wisps of hair escaped their binds to frame her face. It would have been easier to just cut it short but Rangiku and Gin refused to let her harm the long ebony strands. She strapped her zanpakuto on her back with a thick dark gray sash as she stepped out the door.

Akiko strolled silently through the pre-dawn night to the second division dojo and met other members of the executive militia outside the door. One of the senior members was assigned to examine her abilities. Akiko removed her zanpakuto and readied her stance as they prepared to fight.

* * *

Shihoin Yoruichi watched as the new recruit sparred with her toughest fighter. She had a feeling the girl was much stronger then she let on, and Akiko's Reiatsu had a feeling of an iceberg, there was the small amount that was easily sensed, but if a someone with the skill of, well, a taicho focused on it there was a depth that indicated that the raven haired girl was hiding her true potential. She continued to examine the new kitten; she side stepped and dodged her opponent's attacks easily as if instead of a vicious fight, they were partners in a complexly choreographed dance. Yoruichi furrowed brow, most of the recruits fresh from a six year education at the academy could barely keep up with older members. But Akiko, the girl was not only keeping up with her best fighter, but she was _surpassing_ him. Akiko dodged her opponent's reckless attack and as he stumbled forward, she delivered a swift downward kick to his back. The combination of momentum and kick sent the large man face first into the floor. _Yes, it seems this girl is keeping something from me._ Yoruichi thought to herself. She was going to have to just how far she could push this girl

* * *

Seeing as she had the rest of the day off, Akiko decided to do what she'd been itching to since she graduated and joined the Gotei Thirteen.

After she had washed and pulled on another one of her black uniforms, strapped on her zanpakuto and stuffed one of her new notebooks and a pen into her shirt she set out to find a certain Ichimaru Gin. She followed his reiatsu to the fifth division and quickly located him under a gnarled tree and people watching. She quickly suppressed her reiatsu and waited for an opportunity to strike. While she waited, she took a good look at Gin. He had grown a lot taller in the past four years and his silver hair looked a bit shaggy.

Right as he got up and started walking to what she suspected were the barracks, she pounced. Akiko tackled him with a large smile that illuminated her face. She landed on his chest and pinned his wrists to the ground

"Hi Gin. I graduated." Akiko said calmly, as if she had bumped into him on the street.

Playing along, Gin replied, "I'm guessing you joined the second division?"

"That would be correct"

"And I'm also guessing that you joined the Onmitsukido?"

"Like didn't already know" She said with mock accusation.

"What if I said I did know?"

"Then I'd say that I wasn't surprised, you do like to poke your nose in other people's business."

"I did foresee that when you graduated we would end up in this sort of position, I needed to be prepared to protect myself," Gin said with mock seriousness, "I was waiting yesterday for you but you never came around."

"Well I was busy," Akiko said furrowing her eyebrow, "maybe you should have come looking for me."

"I wouldn't be able to find you. Remember? You're an assassin."

"Very true" She said with a playful smile.

Akiko could have bantered with Gin all day, but they were interrupted by a soft chuckle.

"Gin, is this the Inuzuri Akiko you've been talking about." A tall brown haired man in a Taicho's haori said.

"Hai, Taicho" Gin replied, "Akiko this is Aizen fuka-taicho."

Akiko may have noticed their position but she didn't seem to care. "You've been talking about me? I hope it was all good."

Gin laughed, "No of course not, I told him your every, dirty little secret."

Akiko glared at Gin, "You better be kidding"

"Inuzuri-san, there's no need to worry, Gin just seems to like to pull your chain," Aizen said after he had helped the raven haired girl up, "I've heard nothing but good things about you."

"Thank You, Aizen fuka-taicho" Akiko said with a half smile.

"You're Welcome" He replied as he brushed a lock of black hair behind her ear, making her stiffen. "You look much better with your hair out of your face Akiko-chan." Akiko took a step back but Aizen didn't seem to mind. "Hey, how about I show you around Seireitei?"

"Umm, thank you Aizen-san I'd like that," Akiko said thoughtfully

"Nah. Kiko has to get back to da second division. Right Kiko?" _That's weird, I wonder what Gin's all stressed about._ Akiko thought

"Nope, Taicho gave me the day off. I was planning on spending it with you but I'd like to know the city better, Aimi only showed me the second division and the Omnitsukido holdings yesterday."

"Well I can show you around, there's no need to bother Aizen-san. Taicho asked him to train some recruits today."

"Aah, that's right. It completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry Kiko-chan. But maybe we can train together someday."

"That would be nice Aizen-san."

"Come on Kiko. Let's go." Gin said as he pulled Akiko away.

* * *

Aizen watched as Akiko and Gin walked towards the sixth division grounds. _She really is beautiful,_ Aizen thought. _I thought Gin was just exaggerating._

* * *

Gin and Akiko had walked all around the city and were now lying under an ancient tree in the first division gardens. Akiko was lying on her stomach watching the koi fish circle around and around the pond and drew something in her notebook every once in a while. Gin lay on his side and watched her scribble away in her note book. He smiled a bit wider as Akiko scrunched her eyebrows and scratched something out.

"What ya drawing Kiko?"

"None of your business Gin."

"Awww, Kiko let me see!"

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"Hmph. Fine then, I guess you won't get your graduation present then."

Akiko raised an eyebrow, "How can you get me a present if you didn't know when I was going to graduate?"

"It was one of the things I bought with my first paycheck of course! I got both you and Rangiku presents." Gin grinned widely at the startled look on her face. But she caught herself quickly and smiled warmly at him.

"That was sweet of you Gin, Ran and I thought that you forgot about us…"

"How could I ever forget you Kiko?" Gin sounded just a bit astonished that she thought he would abandon her.

Akiko tried to laugh but it came out sounding more like someone was strangling her, "That's what I told Ran, we're family. We wouldn't abandon one another."

Gin observed her analytically; this had started to happen a lot more frequently since they entered the academy. It almost seemed like Akiko had remembered something about the time before she met him and she got a far away and painful look. But every time he asked her about it, she would claim it was nothing or that she didn't remember anything before him. He couldn't bear to see her so desolate, so he attempted to break the silence.

"So do you want your present or not?"

"Sure."

"First you got to show me what you're drawing."

Akiko sighed and contemplated whether to let him see or not. _I do like presents…_ and she handed the book to Gin. He grinned as he examined an aquatic scene with two large koi fish swimming in the pond full of water lilies.

"You draw good Kiko!"

"Where's my present Gin?"

"Oh! Here ya go."

Akiko grabbed the small package and gave him a confused look. "You carried it with you?"

"I thought you would visit me yesterday but you didn't come so I kept it on me just in case." She gave him a quizzing look but didn't say anything.

"Open it!" Gin urged her excitedly. Akiko carefully unwrapped the small box and opened it slowly. Inside was a light blue rose pendant on a short silver chain. She grinned widely, pounced on Gin, and gave him a boa constrictor hug.

"Kiko. Can't. Breathe." Gin wheezed but though he was in extreme pain and possible suffocating, he couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzley at having made her so happy.

"I love it Gin!" She said as she buried her face in his chest.

"Ok. Need. To. Breathe." Gin said as he seemed to pass out.

"Oops..."

* * *

Gin opened his eyes, and saw an angel's face looming over him. _Oh. Wait a sec, it's just Kiko. Huh... I must have hit my head too._

"Hey Gin", Akiko greeted.

"Hi"

"Thanks for the present." She said warmly.

"You're welcome."

"Can you help me put it on?" Gin nodded his head and took the necklace in her outstretched hand. He stood up and moved her long black hair out of the way and hooked the clasp closed. Then he took a step back to see how it looked on her. The rose fell right along her collar bone and looked absolutely beautiful on her. But then he spotted another chain.

"What's this one Kiko?" She got _that look_ again and pulled t long chain, at the end of which was a silver pendant. He took the pendant in his fingers to get a closer look. It was a detailed pendant of a lily, so realistic that it seemed to have been grown rather than made by man.

"I don't know. I was wearing it when you found me remember?"

"Why did you keep it?"

"I don't know, it just feels really important." She said with _that look._

* * *

Akiko was sitting on her futon and staring at the two pendants on her hands. She let out a heavy sigh and got up to put them on her table. But she took another look at the silver lily and picked it up again. She suddenly saw two hands gripping the sturdy table in front of her and felt two arms press against both of her sides. She was trapped and she only knew a handful of people who could sneak up on her like that; not even Gin could come within ten meters of her without her knowing. Akiko was turned around and came face to face with her attacker; well more like face to chest seeing as she had to tilt her head all the way back to meet his green eyes, which flashed first with surprise, morphed into a combination of confusion and joy then finally settled difficultly into indifference.

Akiko gave an amused look at her attacker as she tilted her head to the side. Then in her soft voice, she slowly uttered a single sentence.

"Kaito, I assume you are here to kill me?"


	4. A little history on our darling girl

**SORRY! It's been so long since I updated! Just been nusy with stuff like school and Christmas shopping and my birthday. Oh, and the new Assassin's Creed! I love that game. Haha and if you guys haven't guessed yet, I'm fascinated with assassins ;D**

**To get the time to make sense in my head I devised a crude formula to find the 'real' ages of the souls in soul society. It's long and kinda boring but if you want to check it out I'll post it on my profile.**

**So the first part, Mai looks eight years old (65) and in the second part she looks about ten years old (85).**

Miyazaki Mai side stepped the incoming blow, slipped under her opponent's guard and thrust her tanto towards his heaving chest. She had just achieved Shikai at eight years old, and was the youngest to achieve so in her very talented family. Her opponent dodged the blade and set off a barrage of attacks. Mai continued to dodge each assault as she contemplated her next move. Her tanto's blade was to short go for a direct attack against a katana, so she would have to trick her opponent into opening his guard or she could try to get behind him and nail him in the back. She decided to try the later and used the tree a few meters behind her as a spring board to flip over the bigger boy's head. She had caught him off guard and was about to go through the motion of stabbing him through the heart. But she stopped short at the sound of an approach. Mai bowed to the tall, black haired man whom had come to evaluate the commotion. He then turned to address the visitor. "Kaito-dono, to what do we earn such a royal visit?" Mai's father asked the green eyed teen.

Kaito ran a hand through his shaggy red hair, "I just came to train with Mai-san, Miyazaki-san. I hope that does not bother you too much."

"Of course not, Kaito-dono." The clan leader replied curtly as he turned on his heel and left the family training ground.

After her father was out of sight, Mai gave a mocking half smile to her companion. "I won" She stated simply.

"No way Mai-mai! I would have countered if your father hadn't come." Kaito glared down at the raven haired girl.

Mai sighed in exasperation but kept her mouth shut. She knew better than to get into an argument with Kaito; he just didn't know when to quit. Besides, her five-year-old sister was running up to greet them. Little Sayuri* was just beginning her training in the clan's techniques and had taken to totting around her sword wherever she went. As the child sprinted to her big sister her silver lily pendant bounced against her chest. Sayuri jumped just as Kaito opened his arms and he caught her in a smooth, well rehearsed movement.

"Kaito-dono! What are you doing here?" Sayuri said as Mai came over to ruffle her little sister's curly, brown hair.

"I came to spar with Mai-mai, Yuri-chan."

"Why would you come all the way here just to train with Mai-mai? Don't you have lots of better people to fight with at the palace? You could fight with Ichiro-dono! Couldn't you?" Sayuri had just hit the age where she asked more questions than she should. And, unfortunately, she hadn't yet been taught the art of silence.

"I like sparring with Mai-mai. I learn more by fighting with her than any one back home. They all have the same style. Bruteforce." Kaito said with his face twisted in disgust.

"We all fight the same here too! All us kids learn the same things. Well except Mai-mai, Father teaches her all sorts of different stuff." Sayuri turned to her big sister with hero worship in her eyes.

"Well of course she does. She's the heir of the clan, so she has to work hard to prepare to lead the clan."

"And she'll have to go to the palace like Papa does. And meet with Yoshida-dono"

"Yes she will, but she might not meet with my father. More likely my big brother."

"Oh yeah, Ichiro-dono is a heir too."

"You're very clever Yuri-chan. How about you show me what you've learned since I've been away." Sayuri wriggled out of Kaito's arms and landed in the fresh spring grass. She went through all the new forms her sensei had taught in the past few months.

"We met when you were that age." Kaito mused.

Mai nodded her head. "It was my first time at the palace. It was only so many years ago."

Kaito reminisced and was startled, sometimes he forgot just how young she was. He was many years older than her but she still caught him of guard, and vulnerable. If he didn't trust her completely, he would have been uneasy around her like everyone else.

Mai continued, "And that was the first time you met anyone from my clan."

"I was astonished that we would rely so heavily on anyone outside my clan", he gave a chuckle. "That's when your father introduced you to mine"

"And he claimed I was a genius." Mai scoffed.

"You were, and still are." Kaito gave her a side glance.

Mai laughed mockingly and elbowed him in the ribs. But she spoke in an innocent voice, "Whatever you say Kaito-dono"

* * *

_**20 Years Later**_

"Miyazaki Hisao, we sentence you and your family to death," Yoshida Ryuu proclaimed as his final verdict, "As the punishment for treachery and treason against our royal clan."

Mai struggled against the hands restraining her. She would not allow her family to be killed in cold blood. "NO! Let me go!" she screamed futilely.

Kaito ran to her and tried to calm her down. "How could you let this happen?" She yelled at his face, "You know we would never betray you. We've been your dogs for millennia!" Tears were streaming down her face. "I have to save Yuri! I have to! Let. Me. GO!"

In actuality, he had tried everything to save them all. But in the end his father had let him save only one Miyazaki. And Kaito had chosen Mai.

Kaito held her as she bawled and howled in grief. And he watched as the family was lead to the execution grounds; Mai struggled even harder. Sayuri sent a hysterical look at her big sister, as though begging her to do something. To do _anything_. But Mai couldn't get free. Once she couldn't see her family any more, Mai seemed to have given up hope and fell to the ground. She curled up on herself and wailed at the top of her lungs. Miyazaki Mai was a broken girl.

* * *

_**One Week Later**_

It was noon and Mai was still lying in bed. She'd barely moved at all since Kaito had led her there after the execution. She lay there clenching Sayuri's pendant and crying. Yoshida Ryuu burst into the room. He took one look at the destitute girl and took a handful of her hair, lifting her from the floor. "Girl this has been going on to long! You are a weapon, you people are all weapons! Now go back to your clan and report to us tomorrow or so help us we'll rid ourselves of every one of you!" He said as he threw her out the palace.

Mai laid there for ten minutes before she got up and made her way home. Yoshida-dono was right. _We are their hounds, disposable creatures that are thrown away once we are thought useless, or Kami forgive, we grow intentions of our own._ Mai thought as she hooked Sayuri's necklace around her throat.

_And if I'm a weapon like he says, then Yoshida Ryuu better make sure he knows who the true wielder is._

Her mood became darker as she continued down the road. _The Yoshida clan has made a terrible mistake. They will rue ever laying a hand on my family._ Mai started to plan her revenge. She would stay with them and make them think she held no ill favor towards the Yoshida clan while she collected information. It wouldn't take her too long; she was a trained assassin after all. Once she had learned enough she would attack. First she would take out the main family. _I'll kill them all. No. I won't just kill them. I'll __**destroy**__ them. This will be my contribution as clan head. I'll give us freedom._

* * *

_**Back to the Present**_

Kaito stared down hard at the girl in front of him, "I thought you were dead, especially after everything you did."

"If I stayed, I would have been as good as dead." Akiko she mused to herself, "I can't believe you thought I would go through all that to die. Well love, it seems you were sadly mistaken." She held his gaze for a moment and gave a sweet half smile like she did when she knew she had won when they played together as children. "I'm not finished yet."

"What do you mean? There's nothing left to do. You murdered the whole head family except for me."

"Yes, and now we're even." Kaito slapped her across the face.

"It's not the same," He growled. "I had no control over what they did to your family. But you, you are the whole reason they're all gone."

Akiko gripped Sayuri's lily to remind herself why she was doing all this. "Kaito, if you touch me again I'll kill you too."

"You're as good as dead Mai. My whole clan is tracking you down, as is yours and every other royal clan." In that whole tirade only one syllable seemed to had incense Akiko.

"That's not my name. I'm not that person." She slowly enunciated each word in an ice cold tone.

"Well you sure as hell act like it! You threaten to kill me, you say your vicious plan isn't done, you haven't changed at all Mai!"

"Stop Kaito, Just stop! Ok?" Akiko was verging on tears for the first time in seventy years. And that shut Kaito up pretty well. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She continued, "I wasn't thinking rationally it was all emotion. And I couldn't deal with the grief anymore. I guess I needed an outlet to for the pain and the only thing I knew was how to kill. And I sure as hell wasn't going to take orders from your father anymore. I wanted to hurt someone as bad as I was hurting. And I'm so sorry that that person was you." By the end of her monologue, Akiko was bawling.

Kaito seemed to soften a bit after that. "Well…" He started awkwardly, "I guess you should tell me who you are if you aren't Mai anymore."

She whipped her eyes and with a quivering voice replied, "I am Inuzuri Akiko"

"It's nice to meet you Inuzuri Akiko, I'm Yoshida Kaito. See now we're all caught up."

"The rest of my plan doesn't involve killing anyone if I can help it. At least, I won't have to kill if I have some inside cooperation." Akiko gave a meaningful look to Kaito.

"I'll help you with whatever it is. Don't worry. You're safe now."

Akiko look inquiringly at him and he added, "I'm not going to rat you out, idiot!"

"What?" This was weird; the Kaito she grew up with seemed to have vanished. The Kaito she knew would have still been on a rage fueled rampage. But this Kaito, he seemed to have turned 180 degrees in no time flat. Akiko decided to proceed with caution, she wasn't going to get an opportunity like this again. And the sooner her plan was done, the sooner she could settle in whatever life was left for her.

"I'm not going to rat you out to the other clans either, I just wanted an explanation. It was mostly they clan elders that were pressuring me to call a search for you."

Akiko didn't question him any further, "Thank you."

"I have to go now but I'll visit you soon, ok?"

"Ok Kaito. Goodbye"

"Bye-bye Mai-mai."

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**Well I hope you liked it! It took FOREVER to write and get it right. Special thanks to lil'sayuri-chan. Review please!**


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